Utilization of food-grade microgel particles for the design of health-beneficial breads and noodles

2022 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 20K13797
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Early-Career Scientists
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Review Section: Basic Section 08030:Family and consumer sciences, and culture and living-related
• Research Institution: Kagawa University (2021-2022); Kyoto University (2020)
• Principal Investigator: Ishii Toya 香川大学, 農学部, 助教 (90847261)
• Project Period (FY): 2020-04-01 – 2023-03-31
• Keywords: ミクロゲル / 寒天 / 小麦生地 / パン / 麺 / 物性

Outline of Final Research Achievements

The objective of this study was to clarify the effects of the addition of microgels to wheat dough systems on physical properties of wheat dough and wheat-based food like breads and noodles. The analysis of the dough development during mixing revealed that the addition of agar microgels did not significantly affect the dough formation behavior. On the other hand, the stress during puncture test tended to increase, suggesting that the added microgels induced microstructural differences for the resultant dough. The large deformation tests conducted on microgel-added breads and noodles showed that effects of the microgel addition on the physical properties were not significant at the relatively small amounts of added microgels. It suggests that microgelation could be effective way to adding hydrocolloids like polysaccharides and proteins for fortifying breads and noodles without modifying their textural properties.

Free Research Field

食品加工学

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

本研究では、比較的低濃度ではあるものの、ミクロゲル化した寒天を添加しても、パンや麺の物性に顕著な影響がないことが明らかとなった。パンや麺などの主食は、元来は糖質の摂取のために喫食されるものであったが、近年は、低糖質化やタンパク質強化の需要も高まっている。ミクロゲル化した難消化性の多糖類やタンパク質を添加することで、良好な食感を維持したままに、パンや麺の低糖質化や高タンパク質化を実現する技術に繋がる可能性がある。